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How Much Are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Worth? [32 FAQs]

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How Much Are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Worth? [32 FAQs]

1. What Is Chase Ultimate Rewards?

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If you’re looking to level up your credit card rewards game, you may have come across Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Using this rewards currency is one of the absolute best ways to get as much bang for your buck through your normal credit card spending as possible.

And with a wide array of ways to use your Ultimate Rewards points, the question is: how much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

In this guide, we’ll show you how much they’re worth, exactly, as well as answer some of your most burning questions about Chase Ultimate Rewards.

Let’s get right into it!

32 FAQs About Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

Chase Sapphire Reserve Upgraded Points LLC Large 15

Chase Ultimate Rewards is the proprietary rewards currency that Chase offers on some credit cards.

Currently, these are the main credit cards that will earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points :

Chase Sapphire Reserve ®

Chase sapphire preferred ® card, ink business preferred ® credit card.

  • Ink Business Plus ® Credit Card (no longer open to new applicants)

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

A fantastic travel card with a huge welcome offer, good benefits, and perks for a moderate annual fee.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred ® card is one of the best travel rewards cards on the market. Its bonus categories include travel, dining, online grocery purchases, and streaming services, which gives you the opportunity to earn lots of bonus points on these purchases.

Additionally, it offers flexible point redemption options, no foreign transaction fees, and excellent travel insurance coverage including primary car rental insurance . With benefits like these, it’s easy to see why this card is an excellent choice for any traveler.

  • 5x points on all travel booked via the Chase Travel portal
  • 5x points on select Peloton purchases over $150 (through March 31, 2025)
  • 5x points on Lyft purchases (through March 31, 2025)
  • 3x points on dining purchases, online grocery purchases, and select streaming services
  • 2x points on all other travel worldwide
  • $50 annual credit on hotel stays booked through the Chase Travel portal
  • 6 months of complimentary Instacart+ (activate by July 31, 2024), plus up to $15 in statement credits each quarter through July 2024
  • Excellent travel and car rental insurance
  • 10% annual bonus points
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs like United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt
  • $95 annual fee
  • No elite benefits like airport lounge access or hotel elite status
  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
  • Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, $50 Annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.
  • Get 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more.
  • Get complimentary access to DashPass which unlocks $0 delivery fees and lower service fees for a minimum of one year when you activate by December 31, 2024.
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Chase Sapphire Reserve®

A top player in the high-end premium travel credit card space that earns 3x points on travel and dining while offering top luxury perks.

If you’re looking for an all-around excellent travel rewards card, the Chase Sapphire Reserve ®  is one of the best options out there.

The card combines elite travel benefits and perks like airport lounge access , with excellent point earning and redemption options.  Plus it offers top-notch travel insurance protections to keep you covered whether you’re at home or on the road.

Don’t forget the $300 annual travel credit which really helps to reduce the annual fee!

  • 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase TravelSM immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually
  • 10x points on Lyft purchases March 31, 2025
  • 10x points on Peloton equipment and accessory purchases over $250 through March 31, 2025
  • 5x points on airfare booked through Chase Travel SM
  • 3x points on all other travel and dining purchases; 1x point on all other purchases
  • $300 annual travel credit
  • Priority Pass airport lounge access
  • TSA PreCheck, Global Entry, or NEXUS credit
  • Access to Chase Luxury Hotel and Resort Collection
  • Rental car elite status with National and Avis
  • $550 annual fee
  • Does not offer any sort of hotel elite status
  • Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.
  • $300 Annual Travel Credit as reimbursement for travel purchases charged to your card each account anniversary year.
  • Earn 5x total points on flights and 10x total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3x points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases
  • Get 50% more value when you redeem your points for travel through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $900 toward travel.
  • 1:1 point transfer to leading airline and hotel loyalty programs
  • Access to 1,300+ airport lounges worldwide after an easy, one-time enrollment in Priority Pass™ Select and up to $100 application fee credit every four years for Global Entry, NEXUS, or TSA PreCheck ®
  • Count on Trip Cancellation/Interruption Insurance, Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver, Lost Luggage Insurance and more
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve 100k Bonus Offer
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Benefits
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Airport Lounge Access
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Travel Insurance Benefits
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve Military Benefits
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Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

The Ink Business Preferred ® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases , especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance , rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

  • 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
  • Cell phone protection
  • Purchase protection
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Rental car insurance
  • Extended warranty coverage
  • No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
  • Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
  • Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
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There are also a handful of other credit cards that earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points but require one of the credit cards listed above to unlock the full list of redemption options:

  • Chase Freedom Flex℠
  • Chase Freedom Unlimited ®
  • Chase Freedom ® card (no longer open to new applicants)
  • Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card
  • Chase Sapphire ® Card (no longer open to new applicants)
  • Ink Business Cash ® Credit Card
  • Ink Business Unlimited ® Credit Card

The points you earn on these credit cards are known as Ultimate Rewards points .

In our minds, Chase Ultimate Rewards is completely worth it.

Because of its unique partnerships with loyalty programs, including United MileagePlus and World of Hyatt, as well as the flexibility of the points to be used for other travel expenses or cash-back, we think Ultimate Rewards is worth it.

Plus, those credit cards above allow you to earn a ton of Ultimate Rewards points quickly, up to 10x points per dollar spent!

You can get rewarded in common categories like dining, travel, online grocery purchases, streaming, and so much more.

So yes, Chase Ultimate Rewards is worth it .

You can access your Chase Ultimate Rewards in 3 ways:

  • On the Chase website
  • In the Chase app
  • Over the phone

If you’re on the website or mobile app, log in to your Chase account and select your credit card. Then, you’ll find an area that displays your Ultimate Rewards points balance, along with a button that says  Redeem . Click  Redeem .

You’ll be redirected to the Ultimate Rewards dashboard. From there, you can browse and access your Chase Ultimate Rewards points.

Pile of coins

The Chase Sapphire Reserve card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. It’s most famous for offering a 50% redemption bonus on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal , which makes your points worth a fixed 1.5 cents each . Pay Yourself Back gives a value of 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point.

However, you can transfer your points to Chase transfer partners at a 1:1 ratio to book luxury business and first class flights, as well as high-end hotel stays. That way, you can get anywhere from 1.6 to more than 5 cents per point of value from your Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s points.

However, because the value of your points is dependent on how exactly you use your points, we’ve assigned a value of 2 cents per point to the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s points.

The Chase Sapphire Preferred card also earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points. In fact, if you have both the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can combine your points!

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card, there’s a slightly lower 25% redemption bonus on travel booked through Chase Travel, giving you a value of 1.25 cents per point. Pay Yourself Back gives a value of 1 to 1.25 cents per point.

Just like the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, though, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s points can be transferred to travel partners for even better value at a 1:1 ratio.

This way, the points from the Chase Sapphire Reserve card could be worth the same as the Chase Sapphire Preferred card . With the right partners, you can get much more than 1.5 cents per point, perhaps closer to 1.6 to 5 cents per point!

We peg the Chase Sapphire Preferred card’s points at around 2 cents each even though the value can swing wildly.

The points on the Chase Freedom card, Freedom Flex card, and Freedom Unlimited card are all Ultimate Rewards points. However, there’s a bit of a twist.

If you  only have these cards, you can only use your points for cash-back, since these are cash-back credit cards. So those points are worth a simple 1 cent per point .

But if you have a card like the Chase Sapphire Preferred card along with the Freedom Unlimited card, for example, then you can move your points from the Freedom Unlimited card to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card to get much better value.

The Freedom Unlimited card’s points are worth 1 cent each.

But if you are clever and also have a Chase Sapphire Reserve card or Ink Business Preferred card, you can convert your Freedom Unlimited card rewards to the true Ultimate Rewards points and get much better value.

For example, if your Freedom Unlimited card has 20,000 points, it would be worth $200 if you didn’t have any other Chase credit card.

But if you also had the Ink Business Preferred card, you can move those 20,000 points from your Freedom Unlimited card to the Ink Business Preferred card, which can then be transferred to hotels and airlines for fantastic value.

To illustrate our point, if you then transfer those 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points to World of Hyatt, you may be able to book a $500 hotel stay for just 20,000 points, which would make your points worth 2.5 cents each.

When you have the Ink Business Preferred card , your Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be worth up to 5 cents per point when used well.

But if you only have the Ink Business Cash card or Ink Business Unlimited card , your rewards are just worth a flat value of 1 cent per point .

The points you accumulate on all of the Ink cards are still Ultimate Rewards points, which means you can access some fantastic value if you combine and redeem your points strategically.

The Ink Business Preferred card is similar to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card in that you can get a 25% redemption bonus on travel booked through the Chase Travel portal and for select categories in Pay Yourself Back.

Also, the Ink Business Preferred card’s Ultimate Rewards points can be transferred to travel partners for enhanced value between 1.6 to 5 cents or more per point!

And even though the value of your points can fluctuate significantly, we peg them around 2 cents each.

Based on our valuation of Chase points at around 2 cents each, 1,000 Chase points would be worth around $20 .

Unfortunately, 1,000 Chase points can’t be used for much besides cash-back, statement credits, or Pay Yourself Back.

All of these redemptions will lead to a lower redemption value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point. That would translate to a value of $10 to $15 for 1,000 Chase points.

We value Chase Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents apiece, which means 5,000 points are worth $100 .

It’s still not easy to use 5,000 Chase points for anything besides cash-back, Pay Yourself Back, or gift cards.

All of these will lead to a redemption value of 1 to 1.5 cents each, which translates to a return on spending of $50 to $75.

You might be able to use 5,000 Chase points for a super-cheap flight through the Chase Travel portal on an airline like Spirit or Frontier, which can give you up to $75 of redemption value if you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

An amount of 10,000 Chase points is worth around $200 by our valuation. Of course, valuations aren’t exact since the value you get is totally contingent on how you use your points.

For example, if you transfer 10,000 Chase points to World of Hyatt, you could potentially book a hotel room costing $250, which would get you a value of 2.5 cents per point.

On the other hand, if you use 10,000 Chase points from your Chase Sapphire Reserve card to book a $150 flight on the Chase Travel portal, you’ll get a value of 1.5 cents per point.

With 20,000 Chase points, you have rewards worth around $400 , according to our valuation of 2 cents each.

If you have 20,000 Chase points, that could be enough for 2 nights at a hotel like the Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa in Vietnam, which can easily be worth $500. That would give you a value of 2.5 cents per point.

Alternatively, if you use 20,000 Chase points for a domestic flight through the Chase Travel portal, you will get up to 1.5 cents per point of value.

According to our valuation of 2 cents each, 50,000 Chase points are worth around $1,000 .

You could use 50,000 Chase points for a one-way business class flight on ANA to Japan, which often retails for $4,000 or more!

On the flip side, if you use 50,000 Chase points on flights booked through the Chase Travel portal, you’ll only get a maximum value of $750 with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

You can get a $1,200 value out of 60,000 Chase points , according to our valuation of 2 cents each.

But the truth is you can use 60,000 Chase points for a one-way ANA first class flight from the U.S., including the East Coast. And if you look up the flight prices, we’re talking about a value of up to $15,000!

Otherwise, flights booked through the Chase Travel portal will get you a value of up to $900, assuming you can get a fixed value of 1.5 cents per point through the Chase Sapphire Reserve card’s 50% redemption bonus.

Using 80,000 Chase points is worth $1,600 , according to our valuation of 2 cents each.

Your 80,000 Chase points could also be worth a business class flight to Africa or the Middle East , which often sell for $10,000 or more.

If you use your points for flights through the Chase Travel portal, 80,000 points will be worth between $800 to $1,200.

A collection of 100,000 Chase points is worth $2,000 , according to our valuation of 2 cents each.

With 100,000 Chase points, you could have enough for a round-trip business class flight to Japan or Europe, which is a tremendous value. This could have a cash equivalent anywhere from $7,000 to $14,000.

Redeeming those 100,000 Chase points through the travel portal will get you a value of $1,000 to $1,500, depending on which card you have.

If you use your Chase points for travel through the Chase Travel portal , you’ll need to redeem anywhere from 66,667 to 100,000 Chase points to get $1,000 .

And if you decide to transfer your Chase points to book a luxury hotel stay at Hyatt , you’ll probably redeem around 30,000 to 50,000 Chase points for $1,000 of value .

If you decide to transfer your Chase points to airlines, you could get $1,000 of value through domestic flights with around 50,000 to 70,000 Chase points .

Lastly, if you transfer your Chase points to airline partners and book luxury business or first class flights , you can redeem around 60,000 Chase points to get $3,000 of value, which would translate to using only 20,000 Chase points to get $1,000 .

Chase Ultimate Rewards are some of the most flexible points out there. Here are the ways you can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points (ranked from highest to lowest value):

  • Transfer to airline and hotel partners
  • Travel booked through Chase Travel
  • Pay Yourself Back
  • Statement credit/cash-back
  • Apple purchases
  • Amazon.com purchases
  • Online shopping

Yes, Chase points are transferrable to airlines and hotels. You can transfer to these airlines and hotels:

Airline Transfer Partners

Hotel Transfer Partners

Just remember that you’ll need to have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card, or Ink Business Plus card (no longer open to new applicants) to have the ability to transfer your points to airlines or hotels.

Dollars

Chase points are worth 1 cent per point when redeemed for cash-back or statement credits, regardless of which credit card you have.

So that means you’ll need to redeem 100 points to get a dollar in cash-back.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can get 1.5 cents per point for travel booked through the Chase Travel portal.

If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card or Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll get 1.25 cents per point for Chase Travel portal bookings.

If you have any other Chase card like the Freedom Unlimited card or the Ink Business Cash card, you’ll get a flat 1 cent per point for travel.

That means you’ll need to redeem 67 to 100 Chase points to get a dollar on travel.

Chase points are worth 0.8 cents per point when redeemed on Amazon, regardless of which credit card you have.

That means you’ll need to redeem 125 Chase points to get a dollar on Amazon.

Chase points are worth around 1 to 1.2 cents per point when redeemed for gift cards, regardless of which credit card you have.

Sometimes, Chase will offer sales for select merchants to get 10% to 15% off on certain gift cards.

This means you’ll need to redeem 83 to 100 Chase points to get a dollar in gift cards.

Chase Ultimate Rewards points transfer to United at a 1:1 ratio, assuming you have the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, Chase Sapphire Preferred card, Ink Business Preferred card, or Ink Business Plus card (no longer open to new applicants).

And if you transfer to United, your points could be worth anywhere from 1 cent to 10 cents each . This huge spectrum is dependent on how you use your United miles .

If you use your United miles for short-haul flights in economy, you won’t get as good of a value as you would if you used your United miles for long-haul flights in first class.

That means you’ll need to redeem anywhere from 10 to 100 Chase points to get a dollar on United.

Chase Ultimate Rewards also transfers at a 1:1 ratio to Southwest, just like United (though you’ll need to have an eligible card to make those transfers happen).

In general, Southwest points are worth 1.3 to 1.5 cents per point , thanks to its fixed value system.

So you’ll probably need to use 67 to 77 Chase points to get a dollar on Southwest.

Pay Yourself Back can give you a redemption value of 1 to 1.5 cents per point . So to get a dollar from Pay Yourself Back, you may need to redeem 67 to 100 Chase points.

For example, with the Chase Sapphire Reserve card, you can get 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point through Pay Yourself Back on select rotating categories.

With the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and Ink Business Preferred card, you’ll get 1 to 1.25 cents per point through Pay Yourself Back on rotating categories.

Lastly, with the Ink Business Cash or Ink Business Unlimited card, you’ll get 1.1 cents per point through Pay Yourself Back on select business categories.

Chase points are generally worth the most when you transfer to partners. For example, if you transfer 25,000 Chase points to book a night at the Grand Hyatt Kauai , you could easily get $1,000 worth of redemption value, which is 4 cents per point.

Also, if you transfer 70,000 Chase points to book Qatar Airways Qsuites , you could easily get $6,000 worth of value, which is 8.6 cents per point.

If you transfer 60,000 Chase points to book United Polaris class , you could get around $4,000 of value, which is 6.7 cents per point of value.

However, you’re generally doing well if you can transfer your Chase points to partners and get a value of 2 cents per point .

As long as your Chase credit card is open and in good standing, your points do not expire.

After you close your card, you’ll have 30 days to redeem all of your points before they are forfeited.

If you’re planning on closing a Chase card but still have other Chase cards open, you can transfer your points to your other eligible Chase cards before closing your card without losing any points.

For example, if you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred card and the Ink Business Cash card but want to close the Ink Business Cash card, just move your points to the Chase Sapphire Preferred card before closing the Ink Business Cash card to avoid forfeiting your points.

The best way to redeem Chase points is to transfer them to travel partners. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Transfer points to World of Hyatt for luxury hotel stays at properties like Grand Hyatt Kauai, Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa , Park Hyatt New York , and Alila Ventana Big Sur
  • Transfer points to British Airways Executive Club for Qatar Airways Qsuites flights
  • Transfer points to Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer for Singapore Airlines business class and first class flights
  • Transfer points to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club for ANA business class and first class flights
  • Transfer points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue for Air France or KLM business class flights
  • Transfer points to Emirates Skywards for Emirates first class and business class flights

Pros and Cons

We think that Amex Membership Rewards points (2.2 cents per point) are slightly more valuable than Chase points (2.0 cents per point).

But the complete picture is a bit more complicated. Chase enjoys the most important hotel transfer partnership with World of Hyatt, which makes it much easier to get outsized value on points for hotel stays.

On the other hand, there are many more Amex airline partners that might come in handy for a wider array of flights, whether you’re flying to Australia or Southeast Asia .

Nonetheless, we like the idea of having both types of points.

Chase points are slightly more valuable (2.0 cents per point) than Capital One miles (1.8 cents per point).

And although the 2 programs share a lot of the same transfer partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and Air France-KLM Flying Blue, Chase edges out over Capital One slightly because of its partnership with World of Hyatt and United MileagePlus.

However, Capital One offers some exceptional value on vacation rental bookings through Wyndham Rewards . Unfortunately, though, Capital One doesn’t have a partnership with a U.S. airline, making it much more difficult to get great value on domestic flights.

Chase points are significantly more valuable (2.0 cents per point) than Citi ThankYou Points (1.6 cents per point).

Citi isn’t lacking in the hotel department, thanks to a 1:2 transfer partnership with Choice Privileges (which can then be used to book stays at select Preferred Hotels around the world).

It’s just that Chase’s partnership with World of Hyatt consistently leads to higher redemption value.

Citi ThankYou Rewards also shares a good number of transfer partners , including Emirates Skywards and Air France-KLM Flying Blue. However, Chase also offers partnerships with Air Canada Aeroplan and United MileagePlus, making it a significantly stronger currency.

Overall, Chase Ultimate Rewards points are 100% worth it. The list of credit cards you can use to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points has plenty of variety, and each card has its own specific use case.

For example, the Chase Sapphire Reserve card is best for travel, the Chase Sapphire Preferred card is best for dining, and the Ink Business Preferred card is best for advertising. These cards enable you to earn up to 10x points on certain purchases!

But what we really love about Chase is that its online website and mobile app make it easy to manage your credit cards and points.

We value Chase points at 2 cents each, but it’s possible to get worse or better value, depending on what you use your points for.

And even though we value them slightly less than Amex points, Chase points are still better than Capital One miles and Citi ThankYou Points.

The information regarding the Chase Sapphire ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

The information regarding the Chase Freedom Flex℠ was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Freedom ® Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. The information regarding the Chase Freedom Rise℠ Credit Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer. 

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What are chase ultimate rewards points worth, chase ultimate rewards® points can be very lucrative depending on how you redeem them. select explains the best way to spend the points you earn with a chase credit card..

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Chase Ultimate Rewards® offers cardholders a wide range of redemption options — from cash back to booking luxury travel. But the value that you'll get from your Chase points depends on which redemption option you use.

At the very least, you should get one cent per Chase Ultimate Rewards point when r edeeming for cash back . However, by taking advantage of the other redemption options, you may be able to get much more value from your Chase points.

The first step is understanding all of the choices. Let's dive into all your options for redeeming Chase points so you can have a better understanding of what your Chase points are worth.

How to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards points?

Before we dive in, here's a quick overview of Chase credit cards that earn Ultimate Rewards points:

  • Chase Sapphire Preferred® *
  • Chase Sapphire Reserve® *
  • Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card *
  • Chase Freedom Flex℠
  • Chase Freedom Unlimited®
  • Ink Business Cash® Credit Card
  • Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

* You must have one of these cards to transfer Chase points to travel partners.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Enjoy benefits such as 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases, and $50 annual Chase Travel Hotel Credit, plus more.

Welcome bonus

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Regular APR

21.49% - 28.49% variable on purchases and balance transfers

Balance transfer fee

Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater

Foreign transaction fee

Credit needed.

Excellent/Good

Terms apply.

Read our Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card review .

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 3X points on other travel and dining & 1 point per $1 spent on all other purchases plus, 10X points on Lyft rides through March 2025

Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

22.49% - 29.49% variable

5%, minimum $5

Read our Chase Sapphire Reserve® review.

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Earn 3X points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent in combined purchases in select categories each account anniversary year (travel; shipping purchases; internet, cable and phone services; and advertising purchases with social media sites and search engines), 1X point per $1 on all other purchases

Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.

21.24% - 26.24% variable

Good/Excellent

Read our Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card review.

What's the value of Chase points for cash back?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed for cash back at a rate of one cent per point. No matter which Chase Ultimate Rewards card you have — from no-annual-fee Chase Freedom cards to the luxury Chase Sapphire Reserve®  with its $550 annual fee — you'll get the same one cent per point redemption rate.

You can opt to have the cashback credited to your account as a statement credit, or you can direct deposit your cash-back earnings into most U.S. checking and savings accounts . If you opt for a statement credit, it's important to note that this won't count as a payment. You'll still need to make at least the minimum payment on your bill. 

For the Chase credit cards branded as cash-back cards , redeeming points for one cent per point in cashback is the primary way to use your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. However, cardholders of other Chase Ultimate Rewards cards (such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card ) can get a higher value of 25% more value when you redeem for airfare, hotels, car rentals and cruises through Chase Travel℠. For example, 60,000 points are worth $750 toward travel.

What's the value of Chase points for gift cards?

Chase cardholders can generally redeem Ultimate Rewards® points toward gift cards at a rate of one cent per point. That means there's no advantage to buying gift cards with Chase points rather than redeeming points for cash back.

There's one exception. Chase will sometimes discount the number of points you need to buy gift cards. You can often get 10% to 15% off, which increases the redemption value to 1.11 to 1.18 cents per point.

What's the value of Chase points for travel?

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be used to book travel through the Chase Travel℠ . The redemption rate that you can get will depend on what type of Chase credit card you have:

  • Chase Sapphire Reserve : 1.5 cents per point
  • Chase Sapphire Preferred Card : 1.25 cents per point
  • Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card : 1.25 cents per point
  • All Freedom-branded and other Ink-branded cards: One cent per point

To get this redemption rate, you'll need to book travel through Chase Travel℠ . Through Chase, you can book flights, hotels, rental cars, cruises and activities. You'll search for the travel you want to book and at checkout, you can pay with a combination of points and cash.

What's the value of Chase points for eligible purchases through Pay Yourself Back?

Eligible Chase cardholders can redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards for eligible purchases through the Pay Yourself Back feature at a rate between 1 and 1.5 cents per point.

This redemption option is a bit tricky, but it can yield a slightly higher value. The eligible rotating categories and redemption rate depend on the type of Chase card you have.

Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can typically redeem points for 1.25 to 1.5 cents per point. Chase Sapphire Preferred and Freedom cardholders can expect a redemption rate of up to 1.25 cents per point. Categories for consumer cards have included purchases at grocery stores , gas stations , contributions to eligible charities and others.

Chase Ink Business Preferred , Ink Business Premier℠ Credit Card and Chase Ink Plus cardholders typically have a redemption rate of 1.25 cents per point. The no-annual-fee Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card and Ink Business Cash® Credit Card both usually can redeem points for 1.1 cents each toward purchases in Pay Yourself Back categories. Typical rotating categories for business cards include internet, cable, phone services and shipping.

Check out all the details on the latest Chase Pay Yourself Back categories .

The best use of Chase points: Ultimate Rewards transfer partners

The option to redeem Chase points at a fixed value between one and 1.5 cents per point is great. However, the way to get outsized value from your Chase Ultimate Rewards points is by transferring points to Chase's travel partners.

By utilizing the right Chase partner, you can book hotel rooms for 5,000 points per night or business-class award flights to Europe for 50,000 points each way. These high-value redemptions can yield much more than 1.5 cents per point in value.

The catch: not all of Chase's airline and hotel partners provide the same value. IHG Rewards and Marriott Bonvoy points are typically worth less than one cent per point. So for partners like this, it can make more sense to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points through the Chase Travel Portal rather than transferring points to these programs.

Instead, you'll want to focus on options like British Airways, Iberia, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and World of Hyatt. And you'll generally get the best redemption value for luxury travel — such as business-class flights and suite night awards.

For example, you can transfer Chase points to Iberia and book a one-way off-peak business-class flight from New York JFK to Madrid on Iberia for just 34,000 Iberia Avios points and around $109 in taxes and fees. That flight currently costs $2,129, yielding a net value of nearly six cents per point.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club is a great way to book Delta awards to Europe. You can fly round-trip to Europe in Delta business class for 100,000 Virgin Points. That may seem like a lot of points, but the same flights cost $4,500 or more — that's a 4.5 cents per point redemption rate.

Or you can use Hyatt points to book nights at luxury hotels, like the Park Hyatt Maldives for 25,000 to 35,000 points a night. Rooms at these hotels can go for $1,000 or more, getting you a redemption rate of around three cents per point.

The worst uses of Chase points

Chase gives cardholders the ability to use Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Shop With Points, but these options should be avoided . For example, Chase points can be redeemed for 0.8 cents per point for Amazon purchases.

There's no reason to go for this redemption rate. You'll save points by making an Amazon purchase with your Chase credit card and then use the cash-back option to redeem points at one cent per point to cover the purchase.

Combining points to boost their value

If you have the right combination of Chase credit cards , you can move points between accounts and boost the value of those points.

For example, the Chase Freedom Flex℠ earns 5X points on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in a rotating category each quarter , then 1%. If you only have the Chase Freedom Flex card, you can only redeem these points for cash back at one cent per point. However, you can boost that redemption rate by combining the points you earned with your Chase Freedom Flex with points earned with a Chase Sapphire Preferred , Ink Business Preferred , or Chase Sapphire Reserve account.

By moving your points to one of these accounts, you can then transfer these points to Chase's airline and hotel transfer partners or redeem them at a higher rate through the Chase Travel Portal or Pay Yourself Back. If you fully maximize your spending and redeeming, you can get 7.5 cents per dollar spent by earning at 5X through the Chase Freedom Flex and then redeeming those points for a higher value with the Chase Sapphire Reserve .

Money matters — so make the most of it. Get expert tips, strategies, news and everything else you need to maximize your money, right to your inbox.  Sign up here .

Bottom line

Chase Ultimate Rewards points can be worth less than one cent per point or over 4 cents per point — depending on which Chase card you have and which redemption option you use. At the very least, all cardholders should aim to get one cent per Chase point, which is the value when you use the cash-back option.

Chase Sapphire Preferred and Ink Preferred cardholders should aim to get at least 1.25 cents per point, as that's the redemption rate for booking travel through the Chase Travel Portal . And Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders should try to get at least 1.5 cents per point. However, with a little planning, Chase Sapphire and Ink Preferred cardholders can get even more value than this by transferring points to Chase's airline and hotel partners .

Catch up on CNBC Select's in-depth coverage of  credit cards ,  banking  and  money , and follow us on  TikTok ,  Facebook ,  Instagram  and  Twitter  to stay up to date

Information about the Chase Freedom Flex℠ has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.

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The Guide to Chase Transfer Partners

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Table of Contents

Chase credit cards that enable point transfers

Chase airline transfer partners, chase hotel transfer partners, how to earn chase ultimate rewards® points, which chase sapphire transfer partners are the best, is transferring your chase ultimate rewards® points worth it.

Chase Ultimate Rewards® are some of the most valuable transferable points available. Points can be redeemed for travel through Chase's travel portal for 1.25 cents each if you have a Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card or 1.5 cents each if you have a Chase Sapphire Reserve® . However, people who own three 2024 Chase cards can potentially get far more value by shipping them off to one of Chase's transfer partners, where they get converted to even more valuable travel rewards currencies.

People with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , the Chase Sapphire Reserve® or the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card , can transfer points on a 1:1 basis to about a dozen airline and hotel loyalty programs that partner with Chase. And assuming you hold (or someone in your household owns), one of those three Chase cards, you'll very likely unlock even greater value out of your spending rewards when you use one of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners.

Here's a summary of each Chase transfer partner and how you can get the most from your Chase points.

» Learn more: The best travel credit cards right now

Chase Sapphire Preferred Credit Card

on Chase's website

Chase Sapphire Reserve Credit Card

Annual fee: $95 .

Earning rates:

• 5 points per $1 on travel booked through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout), select streaming services and online grocery purchases (not including Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs).

• 2 points per $1 on other travel.

• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

Bonus offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Annual fee: $550 .

• 10 points per $1 on Chase Dining, hotel stays and car rentals purchased through Chase.

• 5 points per $1 on air travel purchased through Chase.

• 3 points per $1 on other travel and dining not booked with Chase.

Bonus offer: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $900 toward travel when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

Bonus offer: Earn 100,000 bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠.

Of the 14 Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners, 11 are airline mileage programs, which are:

Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Flying Blue is the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, Kenya Airways and a few smaller airlines. Because many Flying Blue airlines are members of the SkyTeam alliance , you can transfer points from Chase to Flying Blue to book award flights on other SkyTeam member airlines, such as Delta Air Lines.

The Flying Blue program offers a monthly Promo Rewards promotion that discounts certain routes by up to 50% — which can make Flying Blue sweet spots even a better deal.

» Learn more: A points collector’s guide to Air France-KLM Flying Blue

Aer Lingus AerClub

Aer Lingus AerClub became one of the Chase travel partners in 2017. While not officially part of the Oneworld alliance, Aer Lingus partners with several Oneworld airlines — most notably British Airways, Iberia and Qatar .

Use AerClub Avios to fly to Ireland for as few as 13,000 Avios each way in economy.

Or, connect elsewhere in Europe for as few as 17,000 Avios each way. Though, factor in elevated taxes and fees on awards when determining if it's best to transfer points from Chase versus booking a cash fare.

Air Canada Aeroplan

There are plenty of reasons not to overlook Aeroplan — the newest of the Chase Sapphire airline partners. Air Canada is a Star Alliance member, so you can use Aeroplan points to book award flights on any Star Alliance airline, including United.

Aeroplan sweet spots include flying from the U.S. West Coast to Hawaii on United for 12,500 points in economy or 25,000 points in business class. Travelers can fly from the U.S. East Coast to Europe from 60,000 points each way in business class. These and other valuable redemptions help boost the value of Aeroplan points to 1.4 cents for award tickets.

» Learn more: A guide to Air Canada’s Aeroplan rewards loyalty program

British Airways Executive Club

Most travelers might think of flights to London when thinking about British Airways. However, that's not where the value of British Airways Avios lies. In fact, most British Airways Avios sweet spots don't involve flying British Airways.

Instead, use this Chase transfer partner to book inexpensive awards on American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and other Oneworld partners — including flying to the Caribbean for just 7,000 Avios each way.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the British Airways Avios program

Emirates Skywards

Dubai-based Emirates Airlines is best known for its glitzy business- and first-class products. And while premium cabins command huge cash prices, paying with miles through the Emirates Skywards loyalty program is possible and considered the best use of miles (as opposed to using miles to book in the Emirates economy class ). A NerdWallet analysis found that you only get about 0.6 cent per mile in value for Emirates economy, but the value of Emirates miles jumps up if you redeem an award in Emirates business class.

Unfortunately, the Emirates Skywards sweet spots are limited — particularly on partner airlines. That said, the Skywards program is one of only a few ways to book Emirates first class with points since the airline restricts award availability through partner airlines.

» Learn more: The guide to Emirates Skywards

Iberia Plus

Just like British Airways, Iberia is a member of the Oneworld alliance and uses the Avios program. And after Iberia's recent overhaul to its award chart , award rates to book American Airlines flights match the British Airways Executive Club’s rates on partner airlines. However, other Iberia sweet spots include some incredible gems.

For example, fly to Europe for as few as 17,000 Avios each way in economy or book business class to Europe for as few as 34,000 Avios each way. That's one of the cheapest business class awards to Europe currently available.

» Learn more: What to know about Iberia Airlines Plus loyalty program

JetBlue TrueBlue

JetBlue uses a revenue-based TrueBlue points program in which the required number of points for an award roughly equates to the cash price of the flight. That means you can't get outsized value from redeeming TrueBlue points.

However, just because the program doesn't have an upside doesn't mean JetBlue isn't a good Chase transfer partner. TrueBlue points are worth 1.5 cents per point — making it a valuable currency for economy flights among U.S. airlines.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the JetBlue TrueBlue rewards program

Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer

Singapore Airlines is another Star Alliance Chase travel partner that can provide excellent premium cabin redemptions. Singapore KrisFlyer sweet spots include flights to Europe and Hawaii, and flights within the continental U.S. Luxury travelers also flock to KrisFlyer, as it's typically the only way to book the award-winning Singapore first class product with points.

» Learn more: The guide to Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer frequent flyer program

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards

Like JetBlue, Southwest uses a revenue-based redemption program, where points prices correlate with cash prices. This means you don't have to seek out sweet spots to get good value from your Southwest Rapid Rewards points.

Instead, the value of Southwest Rapid Rewards is a predictable 1.5 cents per point when redeemed for Southwest flights. Steer clear of other Rapid Rewards redemptions for hotels, rental cars or merchandise though, as the redemption value can drop to 0.6 cents per point.

» Learn more: The complete guide to Southwest Rapid Rewards

United MileagePlus

United joins JetBlue and Southwest as the three U.S.-based Chase Sapphire airline partners. MileagePlus miles are worth around 1.2 cents per mile when redeemed for United economy flights .

In addition to redeeming miles on United, you can redeem United MileagePlus miles for award flights on other Star Alliance partners. Just keep in mind that United can charge more miles for partner awards.

» Learn more: The complete guide to United MileagePlus program

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

London-based Virgin Atlantic is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and it uses a different redemption chart for each partner, meaning the Flying Club sweet spots are just as diverse as its partners.

Sweet spots include nonstop Delta flights from 7,500 points each way, Delta business class to mainland Europe from 50,000 points each way and ANA business class from Hawaii to Japan for 35,000 points each way.

» Learn more: The guide to Virgin Atlantic Flying Club

chase travel points to dollars

Chase has just three hotel loyalty program parters, which are:

IHG One Rewards

The IHG loyalty program is good, but it's generally a weak Chase transfer partner.

NerdWallet values IHG points at 0.8 cent each. But since Chase points transfer to IHG One Rewards at the same 1:1 transfer ratio as all other partners, that makes for a pretty bad transfer that can actually devalue your points. Unless you find a killer IHG redemption, only transfer points from Chase to IHG to top off your account if you're a few points shy of booking a hotel you want with the rest of your IHG points. Otherwise, you’re generally better off booking IHG hotels via Chase's portal.

» Learn more: What you need to know about IHG One Rewards

Marriott Bonvoy

Marriott Bonvoy is one of the largest hotel loyalty programs around. You can redeem Bonvoy points for free nights and room upgrades at over 7,000 properties across more than 30 brands.

However, bigger isn't always better. When NerdWallet analyzed the value of Marriott Bonvoy points , we found that points were worth around 0.8 cent each. That puts Marriott in the same category as IHG, where points often lose their value when you transfer them from Chase to Marriott Bonvoy.

Marriott just transitioned to a dynamically priced award program , so the value of Marriott Bonvoy points is still in flux.

Considering Chase points can be redeemed for 1.25 cents or 1.5 cents each (depending on which Sapphire card you have), make sure that you're getting at least this much value before transferring Chase points to Marriott Bonvoy — which is unlikely. With that, save Bonvoy transfers only for situations where you find an outstanding hotel deal, or if you need just a few more points to book using your existing Bonvoys.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the Marriott Bonvoy program

World Of Hyatt

World of Hyatt is undoubtedly Chase's most valuable hotel transfer partner — and perhaps its most valuable travel partner overall, too. In NerdWallet's analysis, World of Hyatt points are worth 2.3 cents each when used for award stays.

Hyatt is one of a few hotel loyalty programs that still publishes an award chart . That means predictability in planning how many points an award stay may cost. Award nights start at 3,500 points, meaning you can really stretch out your Chase points at Hyatt hotels.

» Learn more: The complete guide to the World of Hyatt loyalty program

The most common way to earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® points is through spending on a Chase credit card that participates in Chase Ultimate Rewards®. You might earn points through taking advantage of introductory offers — where you can get a windfall of points upon meeting a certain threshold within a window of time upon card approval — and via ongoing spending.

Just note that not all Chase credit cards earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points. That said, Chase cards that do earn transferable Ultimate Rewards points include:

Chase Freedom Flex

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Chase Freedom Flex℠

Chase Freedom Unlimited®

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Chase Freedom Unlimited Credit Card

Some of these cards offer bonus points in certain categories, so someone seeking to maximize their points earning might have multiple cards in their wallet to use depending on the transaction. To maximize points, you might use the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card to pay at restaurants (it earns 3 points per $1 spent on dining), the Chase Freedom Flex℠ to pay at drugstores (it earns 3% back at drugstores) and the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card to pay the monthly internet bill (it earns 5% back on internet, cable and phone services, up to a combined $25,000 in annual spending).

Even though the latter two cards don't let you transfer your rewards directly to any of the above airline or hotel partners, you can transfer them to another card that you hold (or that someone in your household holds), as long as that card is one of the cards that allows for transfers to partner airline and hotel brands.

The three Chase cards that allow for transfers to Chase's hotel and airline partners are the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card , the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card .

How do you transfer Chase points?

Use this guide to learn how to transfer Chase points between two credit cards you own. If you're transferring points from one household member to another (such as to a spouse), use this guide .

Once you've got all the points you need in one account, you're ready to then send them to the actual airline or hotel loyalty program you want to convert your Chase points into. Learn how to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards® points to travel partners here.

Chase may lag other transferable bank point currencies like American Express, Capital One and Citi when it comes to the raw number of transfer partners. However, Chase's transfer partners cover every airline alliance, a range of domestic and international airlines, and some major hotel loyalty programs. Particularly given its connection to Hyatt (which has what NerdWallet considers among the most valuable hotel rewards programs out there), that in turn makes Chase Ultimate Rewards® points among the most valuable transferable points available.

While you might find individually great redemptions while using Chase transfer partners for specific trips, there are — generally speaking — about a half-dozen Chase transfer partners that are most worthwhile. NerdWallet's power ranking of the six best Chase transfer partners (with No. 1 being the best) are:

World of Hyatt.

Air Canada Aeroplan.

Air France/KLM Flying Blue.

Virgin Atlantic Flying Club.

Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards.

JetBlue TrueBlue.

As far as Chase's airline transfer partners go, Air Canada Aeroplan comes out on top. Even still, you can easily get more than 1 cent per point in value from Chase points when you transfer points from Chase to fixed-value programs like Southwest Rapid Rewards and JetBlue TrueBlue.

Other airline transfer partners can be hit-and-miss, such as Emirates, which is generally a miss when points are transferred to book Emirates economy class . But, it's usually a massive hit if you can transfer Chase points to be used for booking the incredibly-swanky Emirates business class on points.

Here's a complete overview of Chase's current partners and their transfer ratios:

While you might book hotels and airfares with cash or through Chase’s travel portal , it’s often a better deal to put in the extra effort and transfer your points to one of Chase’s transfer partners — especially those named above. That said, folks seeking to maximize value should always calculate the value of the Chase Ultimate Rewards® points relative to the price to pay for airfare or hotel rooms in cash.

Use NerdWallet’s Chase points calculator below to determine the value of your points, based on both the baseline and NerdWallet estimated values:

With a little bit of research, you can get even more value through other Chase Ultimate Rewards® transfer partners versus using them to book travel directly through Chase's travel portal.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are our picks for the best travel credit cards of 2024 , including those best for:

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

1.5%-6.5% Enjoy 6.5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel; 4.5% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and 3% on all other purchases (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year). After your first year or $20,000 spent, enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

$300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1%-5% Earn 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined purchases in bonus categories each quarter you activate. Earn 5% on Chase travel purchased through Ultimate Rewards®, 3% on dining and drugstores, and 1% on all other purchases.

$200 Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.

chase travel points to dollars

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What are the best ways to use chase points.

chase travel points to dollars

When it comes to transferable points currencies, the Chase Ultimate Rewards ® program offers high value and flexible redemption options. Using designated Chase credit cards for daily purchases can earn you rewards like cash back to spend on hotels, airfare, merchandise and more.

How do I earn Chase rewards points?

Begin by applying for the Chase Freedom or Chase Sapphire credit cards. Getting any of the credit cards will allow you to earn points.

You can also earn cash back rewards points with other Chase credit cards and travel cards that you can apply for online, but starting with one of the top two Chase credit cards listed above can help you maximize your points earning potential.

How can I redeem my Chase Ultimate Rewards?

There are multiple ways to redeem your Chase Ultimate Rewards points. Cash back is a redemption option, but some products have redemption options that are more popular than cash back. Travel expenses are also up there, but there are other options if you don't travel or would simply prefer to turn those points into usable cash for other expenses.

  • Apply them to your bill: Ultimate rewards points can be used as a statement credit applied to your monthly balance. They convert at the rate of one cent per point.
  • Pay Yourself Back ® program: This was introduced during the COVID-19 lockdown of 2020 and is available for Freedom, Sapphire and Ink cards. You can choose to receive a statement credit on one or more of your eligible purchases.
  • Redeem them for a gift card: The standard conversion rate is the same as statement credits, but Chase regularly offers gift cards for discounted prices.
  • Pay for merchandise: Point values vary depending on which card you have and which redemption option you choose. They're generally lower than what you can get for statement credits or gift cards, but only for Amazon and Paypal. Rewards points can be used to pay for all or part of your purchases. They can help you get all of the latest products on Amazon or Apple merchandise, including a full offering of the Apple ® Ultimate Rewards store.
  • Book travel through the Chase portal: This is where Ultimate Rewards points are most valuable. You can book hotels, airfare and vacations at 1.5 cents per point with Sapphire Reserve. Sapphire Preferred is 1.25 cents per point. There's additional earn when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards on select products.
  • Transfer to airline and hotel partners: Chase has a partner network that includes multiple airlines and hotel chains. You can transfer points at a rate of 1:1.
  • Book Chase Experiences and Chase Dining: This is a program that offers experiences such as dining and sporting events. Redeem your points for exclusive events curated around your passion with select cards. Your points can also be redeemed for takeout, reservations or exclusive culinary experiences.

The best ways to use your Chase points

If you're looking for affordable flights, nights at luxury hotels or all-inclusive vacation packages for yourself and the family, Chase Ultimate Rewards is the program for you. It's easy to use and you'll earn as you spend. But keep in mind, there are options other than travel to suit all customers.

To make sure you get maximum value for your Chase points, utilize our partner network. Some of the bigger names on that list include Southwest Airlines, Marriott, United Airlines and Hyatt Hotels. If you're looking to cash out your points, check into Chase's Pay Yourself Back® program. The conversion rate varies based on the card. If you redeem for cash back, you can use the money to travel, shop, dine out or give it to charity.

Chase Sapphire is an official partner of the PGA Championship .

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How to book WestJet flights using points and miles

Gabrielle Bernardini

While frequent travelers are most likely familiar with Air Canada and its loyalty program, Aeroplan , one under-the-radar carrier that you may want to become acquainted with is WestJet . Though WestJet is not affiliated with any airline alliance, Canada's second-largest airline currently has 20 codeshare partners. With WestJet's partnerships, you can easily earn the airline's currency, WestJet dollars (equivalent to 1 Canadian dollar), when flying on partner airlines. WestJet dollars can then be used to book flights or vacation packages through the airline.

So, why would you want to fly with this particular carrier?

As some may deem WestJet a "budget" Canadian airline, the carrier soars above U.S.-based carriers Frontier Airlines and Spirit Airlines. Operating routes within the U.S., Canada, South America and Europe, WestJet may be a good (and sometimes cheaper) airline alternative.

Aside from finding great deals — like the round-trip, nonstop flight I booked from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Calgary International Airport (YYC) in Alberta for just $292 — you can also use your points and miles to book WestJet flights. Keep reading to learn more about how you can book WestJet flights using your points and miles.

Book WestJet flights using a travel portal

Unlike other airline loyalty programs, you cannot transfer your transferable credit card rewards to your WestJet account and book flights using points and miles. However, there are a few ways to use your hard-earned rewards on WestJet flights.

chase travel points to dollars

Book WestJet flights using the Chase Travel portal

Though it will not get you the best redemption on your Chase Ultimate Rewards points, you can book WestJet flights through the Chase Travel℠ portal . TPG values Chase points at 2.05 cents apiece when transferring to partner airline and hotel programs. When you redeem through the travel portal, you get a fixed value of 1.25 or 1.5 cents per point, depending on which Chase credit card you have.

Since I have the Chase Sapphire Reserve® , I can book WestJet flights through the travel portal at 1.5 cents apiece.

For example, this round-trip flight from FLL to YYC is currently $593 in basic economy when booking through the Chase Travel portal. Since my Ultimate Rewards points can be redeemed at a fixed value of 1.5 cents per point, it will cost me 39,501 points.

chase travel points to dollars

With WestJet's dynamic pricing model and this trip being nonrefundable, I suggest you shop around and/or wait for a better redemption (i.e., the price of the ticket decreasing) if you want to save money.

Related: Who are the Chase transfer partners? Everything to know

Book WestJet flights using the American Express Travel portal

Similar to booking with the Chase Travel portal, you can book WestJet flights using the Amex Travel portal . TPG values Amex points at 2.0 cents per point when transferring the points to partner hotels and airlines. When you redeem your points through the Amex portal, you get a fixed value of 1 cent per point. Therefore, you may not be maximizing your Amex points by booking via the travel portal.

For example, if I wanted to book this round-trip WestJet flight, it would cost me $719.50 or 71,950 Membership Rewards points.

chase travel points to dollars

Related: Best American Express credit cards

Book WestJet flights using Delta SkyMiles

One potentially valuable way to book WestJet flights using points and miles is through the Delta SkyMiles program . While most partner airlines booked with SkyMiles price dynamically, WestJet itineraries still follow a fixed price: 12,500 miles each way for flights from the U.S. to Canada (or vice versa).

Even better? Availability tends to be quite good.

For example, here's a one-way search for four passengers from Orlando International Airport (MCO) to Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ) from mid-July to mid-August.

chase travel points to dollars

And here's the same date range in the opposite direction.

chase travel points to dollars

These flights can be quite pricey, so you may see redemption values significantly higher than our current valuation of Delta miles at 1.2 cents apiece.

This weeklong trip from Orlando to Toronto in June would set you back 25,000 SkyMiles plus $62.18 per passenger. The same flights through WestJet would be $681.91, giving you a redemption value of nearly 2.5 cents per mile.

chase travel points to dollars

These prices even hold for connecting flights — like this one from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Kelowna International Airport (YLW) in British Columbia's wine country.

chase travel points to dollars

You can also use Delta miles on WestJet's international flights, but they're priced significantly higher than itineraries within North America. For example, round-trip flights from Toronto to the United Kingdom are priced at 84,000 miles plus $200, while round-trip, nonstop flights from Calgary International Airport (YYC) to Seoul, South Korea's Incheon International Airport (ICN) start at 140,000 miles.

Remember that, as of Jan. 1, partner award tickets booked with Delta SkyMiles count toward earning elite status . You'll receive 1 Medallion Qualification Dollar for every 100 miles redeemed — so a round-trip flight from the U.S. to Canada on WestJet would earn 250 MQDs. Sadly, these reservations aren't eligible for the TakeOff 15 discount for booking Delta-operated award flights if you have certain Delta credit cards .

If you already have Medallion status, you're eligible for several perks when traveling on WestJet, including priority check-in and extra baggage allowance. Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallion members can even select preferred seats at no additional cost.

Use Capital One miles to cover your WestJet flight

Capital One has more than 15 airline and hotel partners, and one perk of holding a Capital One credit card is the option to redeem your miles to cover your recent travel purchases. Yes, you can book a flight with your Capital One credit card and then redeem your miles at a fixed value of 1 cent per mile.

If you want to redeem your Capital One miles for recent travel, click on "Cover travel purchases," and you'll be taken to a screen with all of your eligible travel purchases made within the last 90 days. Then, decide which travel expenses you would like to offset with your miles.

You can choose to either approve the redemption entirely or edit the amount of miles you would like to use to cover part of your travel.

Best credit cards to book WestJet flights

If you're not a Canadian citizen, you cannot open a cobranded WestJet credit card. However, there are transferable rewards credit cards that you can use to book a WestJet flight. Here are a few of our favorite cards:

Chase Sapphire Reserve® ($550 annual fee):

  • Current offer: Earn 60,000 Ultimate Rewards points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months of account opening.
  • Receive a $300 annual travel credit.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked through Chase Travel℠.
  • Redeem Ultimate Rewards points on the Chase Travel portal for 1.5 cents per point.

Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card ($95 annual fee) :

  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked through Chase Travel.
  • Redeem Ultimate Rewards points on the Chase Travel portal for 1.25 cents per point.

The Platinum Card® from American Express : ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees )

  • Current offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership.
  • Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or through American Express Travel (on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar).
  • Redeem Membership Rewards points on the Amex Travel portal for 1 cent per point.

Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card : ($0 introductory annual fee for the first year, then $150; see rates and fees )

  • Current offer: Earn 40,000 SkyMiles after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership.
  • Receive a $200 Delta flight credit after spending $10,000 in eligible purchases in a calendar year (terms apply).
  • Redeem Delta SkyMiles for WestJet flights.

Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card : ( $395 annual fee; see rates and fees )

  • Current offer: Earn 75,000 Capital One miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first three months from account opening.
  • Receive a $300 annual travel credit for bookings made through Capital One Travel.
  • Receive 10,000 bonus miles each year on your account anniversary.
  • Redeem miles as a statement credit at a rate of 1 cent per mile; therefore, you can pay for your WestJet flight using your miles.

Bottom line

WestJet may be a Canadian airline, but this carrier has routes across the U.S., Europe and even South America. Like most airlines, WestJet's prices can fluctuate and are sometimes borderline abysmal. Luckily, you can use your points and miles to help cut the cost of the flight and even find deals that can get you to an international location for a fraction of the cost.

Whether you're looking to head to a Canadian destination, such as Toronto or Calgary, or even fly to popular European cities like Dublin and Rome, WestJet is a carrier that should be on your radar. Plus, since you can redeem your Delta SkyMiles, reserve flights through a travel portal or redeem miles as a statement credit to cover your airfare, you can easily book your next travel adventure using your points and miles.

For rates and fees of the Delta Gold Amex, please click here .

For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here .

chase travel points to dollars

How Chase Ultimate Rewards points and an airline alliance made my holiday vacation possible

Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.

I swore by the simplicity of cash-back credit cards for years. Airline miles? Flexible points you transfer to partners? That all seemed complicated—and don’t even get me started on the annual fees many travel cards charge. Suffice it to say, I never expected to be transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Virgin Atlantic then using Virgin points to book flights on Delta Air Lines, but that’s what you do when your wife wants to visit New York City during the holiday season.

Here’s what I learned about leveraging airline alliances to book nearly free holiday travel.

How I compared award ticket availability with various airlines

This may come as a surprise, but most of my award ticket research was not done through Chase, even though I knew I wanted to redeem Chase points. Instead, I started my search by plugging the desired travel dates into the mobile app of a competitor, the Bilt Mastercard.

That’s because the Bilt app provides access to point.me, a tool you’d normally have to pay for to be able to search award availability with multiple loyalty programs in one place. And, since Bilt and Chase have significant overlap in the airline partners they offer, I was able to plug my desired dates into the Bilt app and see what redemptions were available with Chase partners such as British Airways (on American Airlines flights) and Virgin Atlantic (on Delta).

My flights from Charlotte to New York on Delta Air Lines

There aren’t many credit card rewards currencies that transfer to Delta. Typically, if you want to earn Delta SkyMiles with a credit card, you’ll either need one of the Delta co-branded cards issued by American Express or an Amex card that earns American Express Membership Rewards points, since Membership Rewards points transfer at a 1:1 rate to Delta. 

But, you know where you can transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points? To the British airline Virgin Atlantic. And, because Virgin and Delta are both part of the SkyTeam alliance, you can search redemption options for Virgin miles—through your Flying Club/Virgin Red loyalty account on Virgin’s website—and look for partner space on flights operated by Delta. 

I requested the points transfer online via my Chase account and it processed almost instantly.

All told, we spent 34,000 points and $22.40 for two adults traveling from Charlotte to New York and back. We traveled light, sticking to just a carry-on and backpack per person, in order to avoid pesky baggage fees.

Why the Chase Sapphire Preferred is worth the annual fee

Three words explain why I’ll pay the $95 annual fee for the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card this year, even though I’m usually very fee-averse in choosing my credit cards: monster welcome bonus. 

The Sapphire Preferred’s bonus at the time of this writing is 60,000 points after spending $4,000 in purchases in the first three months. When I applied, it was elevated to 80,000 points thanks to a limited-time offer. (Sadly, I missed out on an even more eye-popping offer of 100,000 points back in 2021, but there’s no sense crying over spilled points.)

To put that in context, you can redeem Ultimate Rewards points at 1 cent each for cash back. But if you have a Sapphire Preferred, you can redeem them for 25% more value to book on Chase Travel℠  or transfer them at a 1:1 rate to more than a dozen airline and hotel partners.

That means 80,000 points, like I socked away from the welcome bonus, are worth at least $1,000 in travel through the portal. If you’re willing to put a little extra work into searching for award flights or stays with Chase’s transfer partners, that number could be even higher.

After my first year comes around, I might call the issuer and ask to downgrade my Sapphire Preferred to a no-annual-fee Chase Freedom Unlimited ® card. While the $50 annual credit for hotels booked in the Chase portal is a nice feature, I don’t know that I’ll use the card enough to justify the $95 cost on a regular basis. But for a $1,000+ value during year one? That’s a trade I’m willing to make.

Examples of airline alliances you can take advantage of

There are three major airline alliances you should know about if you’re interested in using credit card rewards for award travel . We’ve mentioned SkyTeam, and the other two are Oneworld and Star Alliance. Here are some examples of how you could leverage these alliances:

  • Book a Delta flight with Virgin points (perhaps transferred from a card that earns Chase Ultimate Rewards or one that earns Capital One Miles) thanks to the SkyTeam alliance.
  • Fly to a European destination on KLM using Delta SkyMiles, also thanks to SkyTeam.
  • Book a flight on American Airlines using Avios, the currency of the British Airways Executive Club loyalty program, since both airlines are part of Oneworld. 
  • Fly on United Airlines with Air Canada Aeroplan miles thanks to the Star Alliance. 
  • Book to a European destination on Lufthansa with United miles (Star Alliance). 

Be aware that you’ll want to search through the website of the airline program you’re redeeming miles with. To refer back to my own trip as an example, I booked through Virgin Atlantic’s site, not through the Delta Air Lines site, even though I ended up on a Delta-operated flight. 

Also, know that this process isn’t without potential complications. Some airlines are known for providing partners with limited space, so you’re gambling on being able to find what you need. With that in mind, be sure to find your flights on the website you will be using before transferring your points. 

The takeaway

My visit to the Big Apple might not have been as eventful as Kevin McCallister’s infamous trip to the same city, but it was an adventure in its own right. I got to browse the Harry Potter New York store and marvel at the Hippogriff statue, chow down on a mouthwatering pastrami on rye from Katz’s Deli, and glimpse the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t taken the time to learn a little something about how airline partnerships work. 

I won’t claim to be a true expert in the world of travel hacking just yet—but I like to think this experience proves that, with a small investment of time and research, your credit card rewards can help you land (pun intended) flights you might not have realized at first were even an option. 

Fortune Recommends™ has partnered with CardRatings for our coverage of credit card products. Fortune Recommends™ and CardRatings may receive a commission from card issuers.  

Please note that card details are accurate as of the publish date, but are subject to change at any time at the discretion of the issuer. Please contact the card issuer to verify rates, fees, and benefits before applying.  

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

How Chase Ultimate Rewards points and an airline alliance made my holiday vacation possible

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The Best Deals to Score Extra Points and Miles This Spring

As you book your 2024 travels, these limited-time credit card and loyalty program promotions will boost your points and miles balance in a big way..

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KLM logo on airplane wing seen through airplane window

Through April 30, you can earn a 25 percent bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue.

Photo by Jarco Penning on Unsplash

As spring kicks into full gear, it’s time to start boosting your points and miles balances for your 2024 dream trip. In addition to record-breaking introductory bonuses on travel credit cards, several limited-time promotions are happening right now that allow you to get even more points and miles quickly—and often at the simple click of a button. You can earn bonus points for transfers between loyalty programs, fast-track your airline elite status through shopping, and even get discounts on buying points and miles. Find the details on these deals—and others—that you can’t miss this spring.

Valuable transfer bonuses

American Express, Capital One, Chase, and Citi have all created their proprietary loyalty programs, which can then be transferred to various airline and hotel programs . Often—but not always—these transfers are completed at a 1:1 ratio and allow credit cardholders to bank and keep their points in the currency of their chosen credit card, transferring to airline and hotel partners as and when needed.

Through Tuesday, April 30, 2024, Chase is offering a 25 percent bonus when transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Air France-KLM Flying Blue. With business class seats to Paris on Air France starting at 50,000 Air France/KLM Flying Blue points, just 40,000 Chase Ultimate Rewards points can land you in the front of the plane, champagne in hand.

Moreover, until April 4, 2024, American Express Membership Rewards points can be transferred to Etihad Guest Miles with a 20 percent bonus.

Earn bonus points in hotel loyalty programs

All major hotel loyalty programs—Hilton Honors, IHG One Rewards, Marriott Bonvoy, and World of Hyatt—are running spring promotions to sweeten the stay and reward members. All require registration, so we suggest signing up proactively.

With Hilton Honors’ Points Plus Promotion , until May 1, 2024, earn 2,000 bonus points on every stay, plus 500 bonus points per stay when using Digital Key to open your room (instead of a traditional plastic key card). Hilton points are becoming ever more valuable, as the hotel company has announced the acquisition of Graduate Hotels and exclusive partnerships with AutoCamp properties and Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) for earning and burning points.

For stays from April 1 through May 31, 2024, IHG One Rewards will give guests 2,000 IHG bonus points on every two nights booked at its hotels.

World of Hyatt members can earn double tier-qualifying night credits for every eligible night completed at Thompson and Dream Hotels for stays completed between March 22, 2024, and June 10, 2024.

Finally, Marriott Bonvoy members can earn up to 2,500 bonus Bonvoy points by linking their Bonvoy account to their Uber or Uber Eats account and making qualifying purchases. You’ll get 500 points for linking your accounts, then 1,000 with a qualifying ride and another 1,000 with a qualifying Uber Eats delivery order on food or groceries. Additionally, as of March 6, 2024, the MGM Collection is part of Marriott Bonvoy, meaning that stays at MGM’s 16 iconic properties (hello, Bellagio and ARIA Resort & Casino) now earn Bonvoy points and can be booked using Bonvoy points.

Save with Amex Offers

All American Express cards come with Amex Offers , an ever-changing roster of discounts and offers depending on your location and spending patterns. Promotions are often targeted, so you may not see all of these in your account, but here are just a few examples of the better ones we’ve received lately:

  • $300 statement credit when spending $2,000 or more with Virgin Atlantic by June 16, 2024
  • 17,500 additional Membership Rewards points by spending $1,000 in one or more purchases online with ITA Airways by May 3, 2024
  • Onetime $100 statement credit by spending a minimum of $500 in one or more purchases for Alaska Airlines marketed flights booked online at AmexTravel.com by May 26, 2024

Enrollment is required for Amex offers, and the card enrolled must be the one used for purchases (which is important to note for those who have several Amex cards).

Buy points and miles at a discount

While it doesn’t usually make sense to buy points and miles in loyalty programs at retail price, it can be smart and cost-effective to buy points during promotional sales.

Until April 5, 2024, you can buy up to half a million Air Canada Aeroplan points with an 80 percent bonus , equating to the points being on sale for 1.43 cents apiece. Air Canada’s Aeroplan portal has access to award inventory on 53 other airlines serving more than 1,300 destinations. These airlines include Star Alliance’s 26 members—Austrian Airlines, Copa Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, and United Airlines, to name a few—plus another 20 carriers, including Etihad Airways and Emirates. Combined, this is the most comprehensive search engine of any airline program in the world.

Until April 9, 2024, purchase up to 55,000 World of Hyatt points with a 20 percent discount . The minimum purchase requirement to get the discount is 5,000 points, which costs $96 with the discount, instead of $120. Though this doesn’t seem like a huge discount, consider that World of Hyatt points carry far more value than those of its competitors, and the program offers some of the industry’s top opportunities for redeeming points.

Inch closer to elite status with American Airlines

Unlike other airline loyalty programs, which require big spending on airline tickets, elite status on American Airlines is based on Loyalty Points, which can be accrued in so many ways beyond flying. With American’s shopping, dining, hotel, and event platforms, it’s easy to rack up Loyalty Points.

At press time, it’s possible to earn 3,700 Loyalty Points (as well as AAdvantage miles) using American’s shopping platform to subscribe to The Motley Fool’s Stock Advisor, a subscription-based stock recommendation service, for just $79 (with promo code “SALE60'’ until March 31, 2024). If you also sign up for its sister real-estate newsletter Millionacres for another $99, you can get another 3,700 Loyalty Points and 3,700 AAdvantage miles. Together, that’s nearly 20 percent toward earning AAdvantage Gold Status, which requires 40,000 Loyalty Points.

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Frugal Traveler

Credit Card Swipe Fees Are Going Down. Are Points Going With Them?

A new agreement by Visa and Mastercard to reduce fees charged to merchants may drain the lucrative rewards that grant free travel to many credit card users.

A close-up photograph of someone inserting their Visa credit card into a credit card swiper.

By Elaine Glusac

Elaine Glusac is the Frugal Traveler columnist, focusing on budget-friendly tips and journeys.

On Tuesday, the largest credit card companies in the United States reached an agreement with merchants to reduce the so-called swipe fees retailers pay for accepting credit card payments, potentially saving the retailers $30 billion.

These fees also help fund the credit card rewards programs that many travelers redeem for things like free flights and hotel stays, leading points hawks to wonder: Are loyalty programs at risk?

Here’s what we know so far about the changes.

What are the terms of the deal?

Last year, credit card payments generated an estimated $72 billion in fees paid by merchants, which are generally passed along to customers in the form of higher prices. For nearly 20 years, merchants have been seeking reductions in the fees they pay Visa and Mastercard for handling transactions where the cards are used.

The proposed settlement , awaiting approval in a federal court, reduces and caps those fees for five years. It would also allow merchants to potentially charge consumers more based on the card they pay with. For example, a person paying with a premium card like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, which costs $550 a year, could be charged more than someone paying with the more basic Chase Sapphire Preferred card, with an annual fee of $95.

Why does it matter?

The majority of the fees collected go back to the banks that issue the credit cards. Those banks have used the funds to push premium credit cards that offer loyalty points, which can be redeemed for free travel and other perks. The cards with the biggest benefits tend to be those that charge higher swipe fees.

While the reduction in the fees collected sounds small — averaging at least .07 percent — they represent an estimated $30 billion over the five-year term of the deal, which banks could try to make up by reducing points perks.

“It’s reasonable to think that,” said Brian Kelly, the founder of the Points Guy , a news site devoted to maximizing credit card points.

While he speculated that banks will be able to “find other ways to make up the difference,” he acknowledged that a points squeeze could emerge.

“Opportunities to earn probably aren’t going to flourish,” he said.

The idea that merchants could charge more to the holders of premium, perks-rich cards, which are expensive, might also deter consumers from using them. Some experts question the viability of the practice given the potential for consumer backlash.

Is the new agreement related to the Credit Card Competition Act?

The legal actions that led to the new credit card agreement date back to 2005. But the newer Credit Card Competition Act , proposed in 2023, aims to introduce more competition in the credit card payment system. By creating a cheaper alternative pipeline for processing payments, the proposed legislation is seen as a greater threat to rewards programs.

Responding to the just-announced agreement between the credit card companies and retailers, Senator Dick Durbin, Democrat of Illinois, and the lead sponsor of the Credit Card Competition Act, released a statement urging the act’s passage.

“I fear that this deal only provides temporary concessions negotiated by a few lawyers behind closed doors,” he said in the statement.

Other experts said the agreement may ease the pressure on Congress to pass the act.

“I think it’s a way for Visa and Mastercard to show that they are making a good-faith effort to help out merchants by lowering the fees they’ve been complaining about for 20 years, and hopefully enough to let senators know they’re doing their part,” said Chris Hassan, the social media and brand manager for Upgraded Points , a website that tracks credit card benefits.

Separately, the proposed merger between Capital One and Discover, which is pending federal approval, could introduce more competition among credit cards and potentially improve rewards for holders of those cards.

What should I do now?

The points and payments systems won’t change until the agreement is approved, which is expected in late 2024 or early 2025, according to a news release from Mastercard.

But the topic should remind travelers of the reality of playing with points: The rules always change. Values tend to fall as redemption levels rise, which companies issuing these currencies are free to adjust at will.

If you have points, spend them, say experts like Sara Rathner, a travel and credit card specialist at the financial website NerdWallet . “They’re not a trophy to dust and admire.”

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

Italy :  Spend 36 hours in Florence , seeking out its lesser-known pockets.

Southern California :  Skip the freeways to explore the back roads between Los Angeles and Los Olivos , a 100-mile route that meanders through mountains, canyons and star-studded enclaves.

Mongolia : Some young people, searching for less curated travel experiences, are flocking to the open spaces of this East Asian nation .

Romania :  Timisoara  may be the most noteworthy city you’ve probably never heard of , offering just enough for visitors to fill two or three days.

India: A writer fulfilled a lifelong dream of visiting Darjeeling, in the Himalayan foothills , taking in the tea gardens and riding a train through the hills.

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

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  2. How To Earn and Use Chase Ultimate Rewards Points

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  3. Chase Travel Rewards Credit Cards: A Complete Guide

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  1. Best ways to redeem Chase points for travel (Beginner’s Guide)

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  3. Chase goals. Not dollars. The money will come

COMMENTS

  1. Calculator: Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Value

    5 points per $1 spent on all travel purchased through Chase. 3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout). 3 points per $1 spent on select streaming services ...

  2. Chase Points Value Calculator: How Much Are They Worth?

    Points earned with the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card are worth 1.25 cents on average meaning that 10,000 points would be worth $125.. Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portal: 1.25 cents per point. The Chase Sapphire Preferred offers a 25% boost to the value of Ultimate Rewards Points when redeeming them through the Chase Travel portal.

  3. How much are Chase Ultimate Rewards points worth?

    Chase Ultimate Rewards points value via the Chase portal. You can also book travel through the Chase travel portal and redeem points for your plane tickets, hotel stays, rental cars or experiences at a fixed cash value per point. As a Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred Credit Card cardholder, each point is worth 1.25 cents.

  4. Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Calculators

    Chase Points Value. Ultimate Rewards points are worth 1 to 1.5 cents in value per point on average. This means 10,000 points are worth anywhere from $100 to $150 depending on which credit cards you have. You can obtain as much as 2 cents or more when transferring points to partners.

  5. The complete Chase Ultimate Rewards guide

    THE POINTS GUY. Welcome bonus: $200 after you spend $500 in the first three months of account opening (which can become 20,000 Ultimate Rewards points). Benefits: The card earns 5% back on select bonus categories, which rotate every quarter and apply on up to $1,500 in combined spending (activation required).

  6. How to Use Chase Ultimate Rewards for Travel

    Redeeming Chase Ultimate Reward points. As a general rule of thumb, one point equates to $0.01 in redeemable value. This can fluctuate, however, depending on how you decide to redeem your points. When it comes to travel there are three main ways to redeem Ultimate Rewards points: Booking travel directly through the Chase travel portal.

  7. How Much Are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Worth? [32 FAQs]

    Chase points are worth around 1 to 1.2 cents per point when redeemed for gift cards, regardless of which credit card you have. Sometimes, Chase will offer sales for select merchants to get 10% to 15% off on certain gift cards. This means you'll need to redeem 83 to 100 Chase points to get a dollar in gift cards. 24.

  8. The Ultimate Guide to Chase Ultimate Rewards

    Chase Freedom. $150 (15,000 Ultimate Rewards points) after you spend $500 in the first three months. 5% back/5x points on select rotating quarterly bonus categories up to $1,500 per quarter. $0. 0% intro APR for 15 months from account opening on purchases and balance transfers, then a variable rate of 17.24% to 25.99%.

  9. What are Chase Ultimate Rewards Points Worth in 2024?

    Earn 5X total points on flights and 10X total points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.

  10. How to book travel (and save points) with the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal

    And when you book travel through Chase with the Sapphire Reserve, you'll earn 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals and 5 points per dollar on flights (excluding purchases that qualify for the $300 travel credit). Read more: Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card review: Luxury perks and valuable rewards, plus a 60,000-point bonus

  11. Chase Ultimate Rewards: How Our Program Works

    Receive an annual travel credit of up to $300 each anniversary year. Earn 10x points on Chase Dining purchases with Ultimate Rewards. Earn 10x points on hotels and car rentals when you purchase travel through Chase Travel after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually. Earn 5x total points on flights when you purchase travel through ...

  12. How to Use the Chase Travel Portal

    Accessing the Chase Travel portal. To access the portal, go to the booking platform at www.chasetravel.com or login to your Chase Ultimate Rewards account and go to your Chase credit card's main dashboard. Next, click on the "Earn/Use" button where the number of points you have is listed. Choose "Travel" from the options listed, and ...

  13. Chase Ultimate Rewards: How the Program Works

    5 points per $1 spent on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®. 3 points per $1 spent on dining (including eligible delivery services and takeout). 3 points per $1 spent on select ...

  14. Chase Travel Portal: What You Need to Know

    The primary reason you may want to book travel via the Chase travel portal is that you earn Chase Ultimate Rewards® on paid reservations. You can earn 5x points on airfare booked within the ...

  15. Chase Ultimate Rewards: The Ultimate Guide

    5 points per dollar on flights and 10 points per dollar on hotels and car rentals when purchasing travel through Chase Travel℠ immediately after the first $300 is spent on travel purchases annually.

  16. Ultimate Rewards

    Visit Chase Dining℠ to redeem points for takeout, access exclusive reservations and book culinary experiences. Si tienes alguna pregunta, por favor, llama al número de teléfono que está al reverso de tu tarjeta. With Chase Ultimate Rewards, you can redeem the points you've earned for travel, experiences, merchandise, gift cards and even ...

  17. Chase Transfer Partners 2024: What to Know

    Chase Ultimate Rewards® are some of the most valuable transferable points available. Points can be redeemed for travel through Chase's travel portal for 1.25 cents each if you have a Chase ...

  18. Which purchases count as travel with Chase Sapphire ...

    The Sapphire Preferred earns 5 points per dollar on all travel purchases booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal and 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases. You'll also earn a boosted rate of 10 and 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides on the Reserve and Preferred, respectively (through March 2025). 'Travel,' according to Chase

  19. How To Use Chase Points For Flights

    For example, travel booked through Chase Ultimate Rewards will earn 5 points per dollar spent when you use your Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, whereas if you used your Chase Sapphire Reserve ...

  20. Best way to use Chase points

    Book travel through the Chase portal: This is where Ultimate Rewards points are most valuable. You can book hotels, airfare and vacations at 1.5 cents per point with Sapphire Reserve. Sapphire Preferred is 1.25 cents per point. There's additional earn when booking through Chase Ultimate Rewards on select products.

  21. How to redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points for maximum value

    5 points per dollar on all travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards. 3 points per dollar on dining, including eligible delivery services, takeout and dining out. 3 points per dollar on select streaming services. 3 points per dollar on online grocery purchases (excluding Target, Walmart and wholesale clubs). 2 points per dollar on all ...

  22. Your guide to booking nearly free travel with Chase Ultimate Rewards

    If you have the Chase Sapphire Preferred or Ink Business Preferred, you can "buy" travel (including JetBlue flights) through the Chase Travel Portal at a rate of 1.25 cents per Chase point.

  23. How To Use The Chase Ultimate Rewards® Travel Portal

    Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card: 5 points per dollar on travel purchased through Chase Ultimate Rewards®, 3 points per dollar on dining, select streaming services, and online grocery purchases ...

  24. How to book WestJet flights using points and miles

    Redeem Ultimate Rewards points on the Chase Travel portal for 1.25 cents per point. The Platinum Card® from American Express: ($695 annual fee; see rates and fees) Current offer: Earn 80,000 Membership Rewards points after you spend $8,000 in purchases in the first six months of card membership. Earn 5 points per dollar spent on flights booked ...

  25. How Chase Ultimate Rewards points and an airline alliance made my ...

    I requested the points transfer online via my Chase account and it processed almost instantly. All told, we spent 34,000 points and $22.40 for two adults traveling from Charlotte to New York and back.

  26. The Best Spring Travel Deals to Score Extra Points and Miles

    Combined, this is the most comprehensive search engine of any airline program in the world. Until April 9, 2024, purchase up to 55,000 World of Hyatt points with a 20 percent discount. The minimum purchase requirement to get the discount is 5,000 points, which costs $96 with the discount, instead of $120. Though this doesn't seem like a huge ...

  27. Are Travel Loyalty Programs at Risk?

    March 28, 2024, 12:25 p.m. ET. On Tuesday, the largest credit card companies in the United States reached an agreement with merchants to reduce the so-called swipe fees retailers pay for accepting ...